As the new year begins, all things take on a new aspect. On the occasion of the new year, I’d like to express my sincere appreciation and holiday greetings to leaders at all levels, all members of the board, alumni at home and aboard, and friends from all walks of life that have provided support, guidance and care for the reform and development of our university for years.

In 2012, our university successfully held the third Teachers’ Representative Assembly and Labor Union’s Representative Assembly, which has inspired our spirit, unified our thoughts and further clarified the objectives of our university during the “Twelfth Five-Year” Plan. Over the past year, we have actively promoted collaborative innovation, jointly built China Coal Institute for Strategic Studies with China Coal Technology and Engineering Group, and signed cooperation agreements for collaborative innovation with Shenhua Group Corporation Limited, China National Coal Group Corporation and the People’s Government of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, which have further promoted deep cooperation in the area of production, education, research and application. We have also actively implemented the strategy of “reinvigorating the university through talents”, and vigorously strengthened the team construction of teaching staff. Last year, a teacher in our university was awarded the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars, 2 professors were appointed to be Special Appointed Professors by the Name of “Cheung Kong Scholar Program” and 2 teachers won Beijing Teaching Master Award for Colleges and Universities. The construction of Yifu Research & Laboratory Building and the new canteen is about to end, and international exchanges and cooperation has made continuous progress. In a word, all undertakings including teaching, research, discipline construction and management of the university have stepped up to a new stage.

In the coming New Year, let us energetically carry forward the entrepreneurial spirit of hard working and the fighting spirit of advancing against hardship, unite all forces and make innovations, so as to constantly open up a new situation in the career development of the university and jointly create a brighter future for China University of Mining and Technology.